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What you should know about the Saints QB's career

Posted on by Vanessa
What you should know about the Saints QB's career

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The New Orleans Saints were forced to use a new quarterback in Week 6 of the 2024 NFL season after Derek Carr suffered an oblique injury against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Saints faced a difficult decision. Would they use Jake Haener as a second-year backup or turn to rookie Spencer Rattler?

Ultimately, New Orleans chose the move it believed had the most potential. The Saints put Rattler in the starting lineup and had the 24-year-old signal-caller play quarterback in a division rival game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Saints fell 51-27 in that contest, but Rattler showed flashes that reminded many why he was once considered a top recruit and NFL quarterback prospect.

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Spencer Rattler's college career

Rattler began his college career already as a well-known and highly touted prospect. He was the consensus No. 1 quarterback in college football's 2019 recruiting class and appeared in the Netflix documentary series “QB1: Beyond The Lights” during his senior year at Pinnacle High School (Az.).

Rattler attracted the attention of many major programs but ultimately committed to Oklahoma after watching Lincoln develop Riley Baker Mayfield into a top college quarterback. While Mayfield didn't win the Heisman or be selected No. 1 in the 2018 NFL Draft until after Rattler was signed, Riley's status as one of college football's top quarterback gurus made the Sooners an attractive destination for Rattler.

Rattler enrolled at Oklahoma in the summer of 2019. He backed up Jalen Hurts in his first season before being named the starter before the 2020 season. Rattler starred during the COVID-affected campaign, leading the Big 12 in completion percentage (67.5), passing yards (3,031) and passing touchdowns (28) while throwing just seven interceptions.

Many expected Rattler to make the jump in his redshirt sophomore year with the Sooners. He entered the season as the Heisman Trophy favorite but struggled to live up to the hype. After nine inconsistent starts, Rattler was replaced by true freshman Caleb Williams. Williams started the remainder of the season, prompting Rattler to seek a fresh start through the transfer portal.

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Rattler attracted a lot of interest before eventually landing in South Carolina. He spent two seasons there alongside Shane Beamer, helping to rebuild his draft stock by refining his game. He led the SEC with 12 interceptions during the 2022 season, but reduced that number to eight the following year with a career-low interception percentage of 2.0.

Rattler declared for the draft after his senior season in 2023. At that point, the four-year college starter was expected to be a mid-round pick, and he had done well to ease concerns about his struggles in 2021 at Oklahoma.

Spencer Rattler college stats

Below is a year-by-year overview of Rattler's stats from his college days:

  • 2019 (Oklahoma): 63.6 completion percentage, 81 yards, 1 TD, 0 INTs, 155.5 rating
  • 2020 (Oklahoma): 67.5 completion percentage, 3,031 yards, 28 TDs, 7 INTs, 172.6 rating
  • 2021 (Oklahoma): 74.9 completion percentage, 1,483 yards, 11 TDs, 5 INTs, 155.5 rating
  • 2022 (South Carolina): 66.2 completion percentage, 3,026 yards, 18 TDs, 12 INTs, 138.7 rating
  • 2023 (South Carolina): 68.9 completion percentage, 3,186 yards, 19 TDs, 8 INTs, 147.7 rating

Spencer Rattler drafts a scouting report

Rattler entered the 2024 NFL Draft and is widely considered the best non-first-round quarterback in his class.

Rattler brought with him some concerns – notably a below-average 6-0, 211-pound frame and a lack of elite arm strength – but his good athleticism and five years of college experience helped endear him to NFL teams make. He impressed during the pre-draft process by winning MVP at the Senior Bowl, and that allowed him to work his way into the mix as a mid-round candidate.

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NFL.com's Lance Zierlein rated Rattler in Round 4, giving the quarterback mixed grades and questioning whether he had the traits necessary to ever become a consistent NFL starter.

“Rattler will still get glimpses of what he showed in his 2020 season as a Sooner, but fails to consistently sustain the type of play NFL teams are looking for,” Zierlein wrote. “He lacks the desired size to be a pocket passer and doesn't have enough arm strength to beat greedy NFL cover men. He's been better than some of his 2023 numbers would suggest, as poor pass blockers and drop-prone receivers often find him cornered.” He can hustle and extend plays, but he's not a dynamic runner and needs optimal protection and separation, to work in rhythm.

“(Rattler) needs an offense that can shrink the field so he can move quickly and find his rhythm,” Zierlein added. “He has the expertise, but may not have the depth or attributes to inspire the confidence to project as more than a QB2/3.”

Many other draftniks agreed with Zierlein's assessment, although some believed there was a chance Rattler could sneak into Day 2 of the 2024 NFL Draft after six quarterbacks went in the first round.

When was Spencer Rattler drafted?

Rattler ultimately held out until the fifth round, where the Saints selected him with the 150th overall pick. He was the seventh quarterback to come off the field, but left a whopping 138 picks later than the sixth quarterback drafted – Bo Nix of the Denver Broncos, who went 12th overall.

The Saints planned to develop Rattler behind Carr and have him compete with Haener for the backup job. While Haener was billed as Carr's backup for the first five weeks, Rattler's potential and agility ultimately earned him preference over the former Fresno State quarterback in Week 6.

Now Rattler will look to establish himself as the youngest winning quarterback to play at Oklahoma and under the tutelage of Lincoln Riley.

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Oklahoma QBs in the NFL

Rattler is one of five current NFL quarterbacks who played at least one season at Oklahoma for Lincoln Riley. Below is the full list of players and the years they played for the Sooners.

  • Baker Mayfield (2015-17)
  • Kyler Murray (2017-18)
  • Jalen Hurts (2019)
  • Spencer Rattler (2019-21)
  • Caleb Williams (2021)

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